Bungee cords/straps are well known in the art. They generally comprise an elastic solid body with end connectors attached to the ends of the solid body. In some constructions, the elastic body is covered with a fabric or other coating material. In other constructions, the solid body itself is used with the end connectors. The end connectors generally have a hook and are clamped to the ends of the solid body or the covered solid body. The bungee cords/straps come in various lengths and the elastic body size and type can vary depending on the intended use. Heavier duty cords use elastic bodies that are higher in strength so as to handle higher tensile forces when used to secure an article, cargo or the like. These cords/straps are generally made of thermal cast polyurethane compounds and are used primarily in commercial applications. However, due to the expensive nature of this material, it is not suitable for use in the residential or consumer markets; the cords/straps would be just too expensive to sell.
The present invention provides an improved bungee cord/strap construction that permits the use of thermal plastic urethane materials that used utilizes injection molding and extrusion manufacturing techniques in cord/strap construction but in a manner that allows the cords/straps to be more economical to manufacturer and therefore more easily sold for use in the residential and consumer markets. Due to the hollow tubular design, the bungee straps can utilize less material and stronger materials to maintain better performance at less cost over the previous aforementioned designs of cords/straps. The tubular design with various interchangeable inserted ends also adds to the present invention's advantages.